Parents in Manchester hold rally for better school funding

A group of parents in Manchester are calling for the state to provide more money for their school district. The newly formed Citizens for Manchester Schools held a rally in downtown Manchester Tuesday night.

The organization’s president, Jim O’Connell says the city’s schools are underfunded. He says the money needed to fund an adequate education is relatively small.

“We’re decimating our schools, we’re ruining the future of a generation and we’re doing it to save 178 dollars per house.”

According to the state’s Department of Education, Manchester is currently the second lowest community in per capita funding in the state, trailing only Hudson. That’s about 9,800 dollars per student last fiscal year. The state average was about 12,000 dollars.